Mastodon and Gojira w/ Lorna Shore | 08.29.23, 6:30 PM | The Factory, 17105 North Outer 40 Road | All ages | $49.50-89.50
The wolf is loose (and so are the flying whales)! Mastodon and Gojira, two bands that need no introduction for fans of progressive metal, will bring their 2023 “Mega-Monsters” tour to the Factory this Tuesday. This will be one of the last shows of the bands’ co-headlining US tour, which began back in April. They are joined by Lorna Shore, a black metal-influenced deathcore band with a significant following of their own. All three bands are known for their incendiary and technically impressive live performances, making for a very stacked lineup.
Mastodon was last in St. Louis in April 2017 while touring their seventh album, Emperor of Sand, playing the Pageant with Russian Circles and the Eagles of Death Metal. In addition to multiple sets at the Pageant and Pop’s over the years, Mastodon also made early career appearances at the Creepy Crawl and Hi-Pointe, two former St. Louis venues known for booking high-quality metal and hardcore acts in the ‘90s and early 2000s.
This will be Gojira’s second performance at the Factory, having played there in November 2021 during the first tour for their most recent album, Fortitude. Like Mastodon, Gojira has played the Pageant previously, opening for In Flames in December 2008, and has played Pop’s multiple times. They were also one of the featured acts on Slipknot’s summer 2019 tour, which played Hollywood Casino Amphitheater in Maryland Heights in August 2019.
Lorna Shore has played some of St. Louis’ smaller, hardcore-friendly venues a number of times, including two performances at the now-closed Firebird and four at Fubar, the midtown venue that was the predecessor to Red Flag. Although the band has been active since 2010, their popularity has grown exponentially since the release of their 2021 EP …And I Return to Nothingness and its follow-up, 2022’s Pain Remains, two releases that garnered considerable praise even from deathcore skeptics.
Tuesday’s show will begin at 6:30PM with a set from Lorna Shore, whose setlist features the bulk of Pain Remains. As this is billed as a co-headlining tour, Mastodon and Gojira have been rotating for the final set of the evening. Longtime Mastodon fans should be very pleased with their setlist, which features many early-career highlights from Remission, Leviathan, and Blood Mountain, as well as more recent material from Emperor of Sand and their 2021 album Hushed & Grim. Gojira’s setlist leans heavily towards their two most recent albums, the groove-oriented Fortitude and Magma, along with songs from their legendary run in the 2000s, including “Backbone” and “The Art of Dying.” It all adds up to an easy contender for “metal show of the year,” and a spectacular note to end the summer concert season on. | David Von Nordheim
Mastodon + Gojira “Mega-Monsters” 2023 Tour (remaining dates)
08.29.23 | St. Louis, MO – The Factory
.0830.23 | Kansas City, MO – Azura Amphitheater
09.01.23 | Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater
09.02.23 | Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater
